10 Top Prospects Who Could Be Jewels of 2025 MLB Trade Deadline Blockbusters
The annual MLB trade deadline not only impacts the final two months of the current season, but it also has a longer-lasting impact in the form of the prospect talent that is sent the other way by contenders.
Last summer, Connor Norby (BAL to MIA), Agustín Ramírez (NYY to MIA) and Thayron Liranzo (LAD to DET) were the top prospects that changed hands at the deadline.
Which top-tier prospects could be on the move ahead this summer?
Ahead is a closer look at 10 notable prospects who could serve as the centerpiece of blockbuster deals at next week's deadline.
There is likely no Juan Soto-level blockbuster deal waiting around the corner on this year's trade market, but there will still be at least a handful of notable prospect talent on the move as contenders put the finishing touches on their roster for the postseason push.
Note: Prospect rankings reflect Bleacher Report's latest top 100 prospect list and farm system top 10 lists, which were updated a few weeks ago, immediately following the 2025 MLB draft.
OF Owen Caissie, Chicago Cubs
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B/R Prospect Rank: No. 2 CHC prospect, No. 48 on B/R Top 100
With Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker locked into the three starting outfield spots and Seiya Suzuki still seeing sporadic in the field when he's not serving as the designated hitter, the Chicago Cubs have no clear path to playing time for Owen Caissie.
The 23-year-old posted an .848 OPS with 29 doubles, 19 home runs and 75 RBI in 127 games at Triple-A in 2024, and he has been even better this year in another go-around at the highest level of the minors, hitting .278/.379/.569 with 23 doubles and 20 home runs in 79 games.
A strikeout rate just under 30 percent raises some questions about his ability to make consistent contact at the next level, but at this point he has little left to prove in the minors and no path to playing time in the majors. Flipping him for starting pitching help is a logical move for a Cubs team with legitimate title aspirations.
Fellow Triple-A outfielder Kevin Alcántara also belongs in the top trade chips conversation for all the same reasons.
C Harry Ford, Seattle Mariners
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B/R Prospect Rank: No. 7 SEA prospect, No. 69 on B/R Top 100
With Cal Raleigh in the midst of a historic offensive season at the catcher position and signed through the 2030 season, it's fair to wonder exactly how Harry Ford fits into the Seattle Mariners future plans.
The 22-year-old made eight starts in left field last year in an effort to add some versatility to his game, but he has not returned to the position this year, suggesting that is not his future destination.
He is hitting .293/.409/.446 with 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 55 RBI at Triple-A, and he has been an on-base machine throughout his pro career, logging a .405 on-base percentage and 16.3 percent walk rate over five seasons.
Catching talent is always in demand, and Ford is knocking on the MLB door with no place to play in Seattle, so if they decide to continue adding after the Josh Naylor deal he will be a candidate to serve as the centerpiece in a major trade.
SS/3B Alex Freeland, Los Angeles Dodgers
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B/R Prospect Rank: No. 5 LAD prospect, No. 63 on B/R Top 100
A third-round pick in the 2022 draft who ranked as the No. 25 prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers system at the start of last season, Alex Freeland was one of the breakout prospects of 2024.
He hit .260/.387/.442 with 32 doubles, 18 home runs, 74 RBI and 31 steals in 137 games across three minor league levels, opening the year at High-A and finishing it out with 39 games at Triple-A.
In 91 games back at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, he has an .803 OPS with 26 doubles, 11 home runs, 70 RBI and 16 steals, and he has split his time defensively between shortstop and third base.
Proximity to the majors often appeals to rebuilding teams as they look for plug-and-play young talent, and Freeland is just that, capable of stepping into a big league role immediately following a potential deadline trade.
RHP Jaden Hamm, Detroit Tigers
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B/R Prospect Rank: No. 6 DET prospect
The Detroit Tigers have a real shot at making a deep playoff run this year, but that doesn't mean they will be short-sighted enough to consider trading Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark or Bryce Rainer.
It also seems unlikely they would move presumptive catcher of the future Thayron Liranzo, rising slugger Josue Briceño or recently promoted pitcher Troy Melton, unless they find themselves in the middle of a huge, unexpected blockbuster trade.
Beyond that group, the system still has plenty of depth to pull from as they look to upgrade the roster, and Jaden Hamm might be the best of the bunch from the prospect who could be considered readily available.
The 22-year-old posted a 2.64 ERA with 122 strikeouts in 99 innings last year at High-A, and he has continued to miss bats and look like a future rotation piece at Double-A this season.
RHP Logan Henderson, Milwaukee Brewers
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B/R Prospect Rank: No. 6 MIL prospect, Next 100 on B/R Top 100
Logan Henderson gave a tantalizing audition for MLB clubs during his brief stint in the big leagues earlier this year, and that figures to make him a frequently asked about prospect in any Milwaukee Brewers trade talks.
April 20 (vs. ATH): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
May 14 (@ CLE): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
May 20 (vs. BAL): 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
May 25 (@ PIT): 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Would they be willing to flip him for a rental of Eugenio Suárez?
He has a 4.04 ERA in 42.1 innings since returning to Triple-A after his impressive call-up, and the expectation for his long-term upside has generally been either as a back-end starter or as a bullpen arm whose fastball-changeup combination plays up in short stints.
Selling high on his strong debut could be the Brewers ticket to adding an impact bat to the mix for their playoff push.
OF Spencer Jones, New York Yankees
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B/R Prospect Rank: No. 6 NYY prospect, Next 100 on B/R Top 100
Spencer Jones is hitting .418/.475/.985 with 11 home runs and 23 RBI in 16 games since the beginning of July, and he has a .400 average and 1.407 OPS in 94 total plate appearances since he was promoted to Triple-A.
So why trade him now?
The swing-and-miss issues have not disappeared just because of a few weeks swinging a hot bat. He has 94 strikeouts in 68 games this year and is whiffing at a 31.1 percent clip, a year after he piled up a staggering 200 strikeouts.
Perhaps he's turned a corner and is on his way to stardom, but it's also very possible that the strikeout issues that have plagued him throughout his career will only be amplified against big league pitching.
Selling high now and bringing back an impact starting pitcher for the playoff push is an idea worth seriously considering for the Yankees front office, especially after third base was addressed with the addition of Ryan McMahon.
SS Aidan Miller, Philadelphia Phillies
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B/R Prospect Rank: No. 3 PHI prospect, No. 43 on B/R Top 100
Andrew Painter will be off-limits in trade talks with the Philadelphia Phillies, and given his proximity to the big leagues and the long-standing need for a true center fielder, it's a longshot that Justin Crawford will be moved.
Beyond those two, the Phillies farm system is likely open for business as they try to fortify an aging roster before their window of title contention presumably closes in the near future.
Shortstop Aidan Miller has a higher long-term ceiling than Crawford, and he could eventually be viewed as the heir to Alec Bohm at third base, but he also seems like the most likely high-profile prospect to be on the move in a major trade.
He is hitting .223/.342/.360 with 20 extra-base hits and 37 steals in 75 games at Double-A this season, but he also just turned 21 years old in June, putting him well ahead of the developmental curve.
RHP Braden Nett, San Diego Padres
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B/R Prospect Rank: No. 8 SD prospect
Aside from Leo De Vries and Ethan Salas, it's safe to assume everyone is available in the San Diego Padres farm system given the frequency with which A.J. Preller has dipped into his prospect pool in recent years.
The question is which of their secondary prospects would have the most appeal to a rebuilding team.
Right-hander Braden Nett might offer the best combination of upside and floor, and he has been one of the most productive pitching prospects at any level of the system this year.
The 23-year-old has a 3.53 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 71.1 innings at Double-A, and while he still has a real shot at developing into a big league starter, he also has a high floor as a reliever thanks to a fastball that touches 99 mph and a plus slider.
3B Jacob Reimer, New York Mets
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B/R Prospect Rank: No. 8 NYM prospect
Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean and Carson Benge are the consensus top four prospects in the New York Mets system, and it's unlikely a trade will come along this summer that will convince them to part with anyone from that group.
However, there is plenty of intriguing talent beyond that foursome, and Jacob Reimer is a prospect on the rise enjoying a breakout 2025 season.
The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft, and after a decent first full professional season, a hamstring injury limited him to just 42 games last year between three minor league stops and a run in the Arizona Fall League.
He has returned healthy this year and seen his stock soar while hitting .273/.370/.487 with 22 doubles, 12 home runs, 51 RBI and 11 steals in 83 games between High-A and Double-A. His 55-hit, 50-power offensive profile and upward trajectory will make him a popular name for potential Mets trade partners.
RHP Khal Stephen, Toronto Blue Jays
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B/R Prospect Rank: No. 4 TOR prospect, Next 100 on B/R Top 100
The Toronto Blue Jays have quietly assembled one of the better collections of pitching prospect talent in baseball, and Khal Stephen is among the headliners of a group that also includes Trey Yesavage, Johnny King, Kendry Rojas, Juaron Watts-Brown and breakout prospect Gage Stanifer.
Any of those arms are a candidate to be included as part of a blockbuster deal as the Blue Jays try to chase down their first AL East title since 2015.
Stephen, 22, was the team's second-round pick in 2024 following a terrific junior season at Mississippi State, and he has a 2.06 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and a 99-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 91.2 innings.
After steamrolling the opposition at Single-A and High-A, he made his Double-A debut on July 20, and his fast-moving profile could push him to the top of the target list for rebuilding clubs.
